I have to admit, videocard buyers are getting better and better at picking out the product that has the best value for the dollar. In most cases before, name brand ruled the roost whereas all secondary manufacturers were deemed inferior just because they has a less common brand name. Gladly, that thought process is a thing of the past. HIS is one example of a company that a couple years ago was not very well know in the videocard industry, but through complete product packages and sound quality has established a following. In my mind, they are the best bang for the buck on the market today.

Today I will be reviewing HIS's mainstream option that is readily available online through most retail channels. Not only does it perform well, but it comes with a software and hardware package than makes it US$150 or less price point an extreme value. Not everyone wants or needs a screaming fast videocard, but their are options like the X1650XT that are for the mainstream consumer that doesn't want to settle for a lower end product because they don't need an enthusiast card.

Stick around, this might be the card for you.

HIS CORPORATE PROFILE

HIS strives to provide our customers the best value and service on accordance to our founding principles. Today, HIS is one of the largest graphics companies in Hong Kong and rank premier in the world of multimedia graphics. In this fast changing world and very especially in the field of PC, a flexible attribute is competitive advantage. Over the years, HIS earned its reputation worldwide as offering a flexibility that other just cannot match. HIS moves fast. HIS reacts fast.

Commitment to excellence is the bedrock of our company direction. We expand by providing our customers worldwide with the best quality and service to achieve the fundamental objective the Total Customer Satisfaction. As such our worldwide customers are very loyal to us.

RADEON X1650 SERIES CHIPSET INFORMATION

Exceptional 3D graphics performance

The Radeon® X1650 series redefines the notion of a mid-range graphics card. It provides uncompromising shader performance to exploit the sophisticated graphics offered by today's best-selling games, features whisper-quiet operation, and provides support for CrossFire™-based multi-GPU environments.

Make the most of sophisticated 3D games – such as Prey and The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion - with intense shader properties

In tests comparing the performance of five popular games against competing same-class cards, the X1650 achieved significantly higher performance ratings thanks to increased GPU frequencies, more advanced memory technology, and outstanding shader capabilities 1 .

Listen to your game rather than your PC's fans with the X1650's improved cool-running technology

Unite the power of two graphics cards with ATI's patented CrossFire™ multi-GPU technology

The Radeon X1650 allows gamers to accelerate their graphics even further by adding a Crossfire Edition graphics card and a CrossFire-ready motherboard to deliver ultra fast performance that works with all games, all the time.

Choose not to compromise

The Radeon X1650 series delivers high dynamic range lighting (HDR) effects and full screen anti-aliasing (FSAA) simultaneously while displaying in excess of a billion more colors than competing graphics cards. Plus, it's a recommended graphics solution for Windows Vista™ 2 .

Choose not to compromise between HDR effects and FSAA

The Radeon® X1K family are the only graphics boards on the market to combine Full Screen Anti-aliasing (FSAA)—the most advanced anti-aliasing technique in the world—with high dynamic range (HDR) technology.

Witness a billion more colors in all of your graphics applications than you would with competing graphics boards 3

ATI's Avivo technology employs a 10-bit-per-color display engine that renders in excess of a billion more colors than the competition.

Install Windows Vista with confidence knowing you have an ATI-recommended graphics solution 2

ATI recommends the Radeon X1650 as an ideal graphics card for Windows Vista. It provides full support for image-intensive features such as Aeroglass, and enhances Vista's gaming, digital photo, and multimedia applications.

Watch stunning, high-definition video on your PC

Thanks to ATI's Avivo display technology, the Radeon X1650 delivers industry leading video performance, achieving more than double the score of competing cards in HQV testing4. Both standard definition and high-definition digital video will appear crystal clear and burst with true-to-life colors.

The Radeon X1650 scores 123 out of a possible 130 points in HQV tests, the highest score of any graphics card 4

The X1650 is the industry leader in its class in video performance according to HQV testing, the standard method of measuring the picture quality of DVD playback.